Optimizing for voice search will require a significant change in strategy for your business. Get ahead of the curve and follow these quick 3 voice search SEO tricks you can implement right now to help your website rank in voice search results.
“Alexa: how do I optimize for voice search to reach more customers?”
1. Claim Your Local Search Listings
According to the 2017 Internet Trends Report, Google reported 20% of all mobile queries are made by voice. Yes! – That’s right – read that stat again: 20%! Thanks to advances in voice recognition technology and a variety of “listening” devices on the market— voice searches are exploding. And for good reason. It’s fast, convenient, mobile, and hands-free— plus, it feels pretty cool.
Voice search is also more reliable than text-based search and it’s only getting better. Current language recognition tech behind devices like Google Assistant, Alexa, Siri and Cortana, are learning and improving every day— with some AI already outsmarting the engineers that built it.
If you haven’t claimed your Google My Business listing yet, you’re allowing your competition to sneak ahead of this growing voice search trend. Since a percentage of voice searches are local, “near me” searches, having a claimed and current Google My Business listing skyrockets your chances of your business being mentioned when a voice search about your business, location or business category is made.
Reach out to us to learn more about local search listings management and how your business can reach customers that are just around the corner, ready to buy from you.
2. Revamp Your Keywords
Don’t limit your keywords strategy to desktop SEO. Unlike desktop searches that get typed out, voice searches are longer and more conversational. According to the 2017 Internet Trends Report, Google reported nearly 70% of requests are natural/ conversational language.
Start by revamping your current keywords. Take your current keywords and add conversational aspects to them to make them longer. In fact, long tail keywords are more specific and actually may help improve your overall rank, voice and text-based, since there isn’t as much competition for specific, longer phrases.
Text-based search keyword → Voice search keyword
Best ac repair → what’s the best ac repair company that does emergency service near me
Best local plumber → What’s a local plumber with good reviews
If you’re stuck, think about how you search as a consumer. What would you ask Google, Siri, or Cortana to find each keyword or each page on your website?
3. Create a FAQs Page
The best way to implement more conversational and question words and phrases? Create a FAQs page! Once you determine your voice SEO keywords and update them in your website, you’ll need to update your content as well. A great way to use voice keywords in a natural way is to set up or create a FAQs page on your website. This not only allows you to write your content in a natural-sounding format and be a potential answer to someone’s voice search, but it boosts your chances of appearing in Google’s rich results feature.
If you’re unsure of what questions your customers search for, start by thinking of the types of questions customers ask you when they call your business. If your SEO strategy is well done, these questions should contain some semblance to your long tail keywords. The important trick here is to break from the direct, shorthand SEO keywords you’re used to. Use conversational phrases for your questions and answers so they sound natural.
Once you have a list of questions your customers ask you on the phone, start creating content for FAQs pages that answer those longer, more conversational long tail keywords that are more in line with how people search with their voice.
You can also plug your current keywords into answerthepublic.com. It’s a great tool for generating what types of questions people use the Internet to find answers for.
Simply search your keyword and it will append search terms to your keyword to help you dig deeper into the searcher’s intent around it.
Let’s get started!
The way people are searching for information is changing. Keep ahead of your competition and optimize for voice search with ROAR!. Our SEO clients receive on average 59% more traffic from Google since partnering with us. Optimize for voice search with ROAR! and supercharge your 2018 business, today!